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ABU DHABI: Hussain Talat stood tall with bat and ball to script a crucial win for Pakistan over Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Green Shirts chased down the target in 18 overs, losing five wickets in the process.
The openers were off to a flyer, piling up 45 runs in 5.3 overs. However, Sri Lanka made a strong comeback in the fifth over, removing both openers to dent Pakistan’s progress.
Maheesh Theekshan struck twice, first removing dangerous Sahibzada Farhan and then Fakhar Zaman, to put Sri Lanka back into the game.
Sahibzada departed after scoring 24 from 15 balls, striking two sixes and a boundary, while Fakhar made 17 from 19 with the aid of two fours.
The wickets gave the Islanders an opening, and they further jolted Pakistan with quick wickets. Saim Ayub’s poor form continued as he was castled for two while Salman Ali Agha perished soon after, adding only five to the total.
Mohammad Haris was also cleaned up by Dushmanta Chameera for 13 after a brief partnership of 23 runs with Hussain Talat. As a result, Pakistan were reduced to 80-5 in 11.1 overs.
Yet, Pakistan emerged victorious, and it was all due to Hussain Talat’s calm and composed innings. The left-hander forged a decisive 58-run stand with Mohammad Nawaz, who also chipped in at the end to take Pakistan home.
Hussain made 32* from 30 balls, striking four boundaries, whereas Nawaz struck back-to-back sixes to take his runs tally to 38*. He hit three fours and three sixes in his impressive knock.
For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets each.
Earlier, Shaheen Afridi’s impressive three-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka to 133-8 in their 20 overs.
The Islanders were jolted early, with Shaheen Afridi removing both openers. Kusal Mendis fell for nought on the second ball of the first over, whereas in-form Pathum Nissanka was caught behind in the third over.
As a result, Sri Lanka slipped to 18-2 in 2.2 overs. However, the batters tried to counterattack, accumulating some vital runs.
Kusal Perera and skipper Charith Asalanka added 25 from 19 on the third wicket before the former was caught off Haris Rauf’s bowling in the fifth over. The left-hander managed to score 15 from 12 balls.
Despite scoring quickly, the eight over from medium pacer Hussain Talat was the cherry on top for Pakistan. Talat, bowling his first over of the tournament, removed Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka on back-to-back deliveries, which slumped them to 58-5.
The wickets sparked a mini collapse and dragged the run-rate down, though Kamindu Mendis fought back with anchoring a half-century to lift his team out of trouble.
The left-hander made 50 from 44 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.
For Pakistan, it was an all-round performance with Shaheen Afridi leading the attack and picking up three wickets in his quota of four overs. Hussain Talat and Haris Rauf were equally good, scalping two apiece.
